And now, for something completely different:

Note to designers and manufacturers of electronic devices, worldwide:

STOP DOING THIS!!!!!!!!!

Please. I'm perfectly willing to pay a couple bucks more on the price of a $100 (or more!) device to have it assembled with REAL SWITCHES!

The board pictured above is from a Handspring Visor Deluxe. (It was top of the line about five years ago, right?)

The switches in question are basically just a metal snap-dome, taped to the circuit board. They suck. After a while, the metal oxidizes, and they cannot be cleaned without peeling off the tape and destroying the metal switch domes. DO NOT USE THEM! HEAR ME? GOOD!

I've also encountered these same godawful switches in an old Kenwood TR-2600 handheld radio. Due to failure of these switches, the radio is currently quite dead.

Stop using these godawful things! Your customers will love you for it!

Assuming your mouse's buttons are not using these switches, you can click here to go back.